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Tetrachalkon - Mithridates VI
| Issuer | Amisos (Pontos) |
|---|---|
| Year | 120 BC - 63 BC |
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| Currency | Drachm |
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| Reverse description | A sword in scabbard (akinakes) displayed vertically at center, with a star and crescent symbol positioned in the upper left field, serving as a dynastic emblem of Mithridates VI. The Greek legend ΑΜΙΣΟΥ is inscribed across the field, identifying the mint city of Amisos. Subsidiary control marks appear in the field, varying by emission and including combinations of the monograms ΦΠΑ, ΓΥΡΚ, IB, and ΦΛ. The composition and arrangement of symbols reflect the Pontic royal iconographic program asserting both civic and dynastic authority. |
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| Mint | Amisos |
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| Additional information |
Amisos operated as a semi-autonomous mint under Mithridates VI of Pontus, striking civic bronzes that served the king's expansionist ambitions across Asia Minor and the Black Sea littoral without bearing his name directly. Mithridates used such issues to project legitimacy through association with established Greek urban minting traditions rather than overt royal proclamation. The long date range reflects a reign of extraordinary duration — and turbulence — that ended only when Mithridates fled to the Crimea after his final defeat by Pompey, dying there in 63 BC under circumstances that remain disputed between suicide and assassination.